Drier



New. 8 I927.

c. "J. CRANE DRIER Filed Aug. 26, 1924 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

UNITED STATES- CHARLES J. CRANE, OF SANTA PAULA CAI JIFOREgIA" DRIER.

Application filed August 26, 1924. Serial No. 734,232.

This invention relates to driers and to a type of drier so arranged and constructed that it may function to dry walnuts and. other commodities. In the case of walnuts it is customary after picking the Walnuts to remove the green shuckf exterior the hard shell, ifit does not drop away from the hard shell. The nuts are then placed upon trays 01- racks and air is allowed to reach them so as to properly dry the nut and prevent theineat within the hard shell from moldmg. g This drying requires several days time and with my invention it is possible to dry nuts within a few hours. It is therefore possible to more rapidly handle walnuts or the like, to sack the same, to send them to market, and likewise a large number of trays are unnecessary.

With the above audother objects in View, the invention consists in the novel and use ful provision, formation, construction, association and inter-relation of parts, members and features, all as shown in one embodi- ,ment in the accompanying drawing, de-

' scribed generally and finally pointed out'in claims, i

In the drawing: Figure 1 is afragmentary top plan view of the drier associated with a heater and blower;

Figure 2 is a vertical elevation upon the line 22 of Figure 1, said view being on an enlarged scale; and,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are designated by the, same reference char-ad ters.

Referring with particularity to the draw ing the drier is designated as an entirety by A, a heater for supplying warn'i air to the drier by B, and a fan associated with the drier and heater by C,-a1l of which elements are used in practicing one embodiment of the invention. The drier A may include 'a rack or stand adapted to support the drier proper, which includes a cylindrical rack I) having annular end pieces 1 and 2 which are spaced from each other, there being spaced cross pieces 3 spanning the gap between such annular end pieces 1 and 2, as illustrated in Figure 3. The rack b is supported upon rack or frame a by Vc-shaped standards 0 at eachfend of the rack, each of such standards being provided with a transverse bore.

Altthrough which tubular members 5 and 6 are passed, these tubular members being of short length and acting as gudgeons for the support the rack b. Carried upon the gudgeons is a tube 7 and the end pieces 1 and 2 are likewise supported by the said tube. The end members 1 and 2 are likewise held in delinitc position upon the tube 7 by annular flanges 8, 9 and 10. The annular flange 8 is carried upon the gudgeon or tube 5 and the tube 7 is screw-threadcd so that the annular flange 9 may have screwthreaded engagement therewith and tightly grip between itself and the annular flange 8 the end piece 2. The gudgeon or tube 5 is made rotatable, while the tube 6 is nonrotatable. There is carried by the gudgeon 5 and within the tube 7 a block or end piece 11 which closes entrance within the tube 5. Concentric with the rack Z) and in spaced relation'therewith is an annulus cl which is segmentally jacketed as shown at e and f. The annulus d is likewise provided with a series of ventilators 12 and 13 permitting entrance within the annulus (Z, the said annulus being formed with end members 1 and 15. The annulus is likewiseprovided with a door 16. The jackets e and f are spaced from each other and provide between themselves an open space shown at 17. This forms an elongated slot in the annulus (Z,

and the rack Z) is provided with two doors 13 and 19 whereby entrance may be made within the rack b. i

with the space 17, and the door 18.' The tube-7 is provided with a series of transverse perforations 21 and within such tube a suitable conduit or pipe 24- to fan G, which 7 The frame a is likewise provided with an openmg in alignment d ioo fan is driven by a motor 25 through the medium of an endless belt 26, and the air under pressure in turn directed through a pipe 27 to'branch pipes 28 and 29 leading to the jackets e and f. The air istransferred through the jackets to branchpipes 3O and..31, which branch pipes likewise oommunicate with the interior of the gudgeon 6, said pipes being connected with such gudgeon, as shown at 32 and 33, the gudgeon being provided with transverse openings 34:. i

An end of such gudgeon 6 is capped as shown at 35. Thus it will be seen that air is forced from the heater through the branch pipes 28 and 2.9,thence through the jackets e and 7 to the gudgeon6, through the gudgeon into the tube 7 to where the air would contact with the member 11; regulation of the dampers 22 within the tube 7 will allow air to pass through certain of the perforations 21 in such tube 7, and air would then be driven under pressure into the rack 6, out through the space between the cross bars 3 and into the annulus (Z, the heat then being allowed to escape through the ventilators 12 and 13, if such ventilators are open,

or if not, through the space 17, being the space between the jackets e and f. The annulus d is supported by means of standards 36 and 37 associated with the frame a, such standards being provided at each end of the V annulus d.

In practicing the invention I may open the door 16 of the annulus d and the door 19 of the rack Z), pour walnutsor the like within the rack 6, close the doors 16 and 19, then regulate the passage of heated air within the device A by regulating the dampers 22 and the ventilators l2 and 13. The rack b may be revolved if desired, it being noted that the gudgeon 6 is non-rotatable, while the gridgeon 5 is rotatable, so that all of the walnuts may contact with heated air to dry the same. The particular arrangement and the blocking off of the gudgeon 5 permits ready adjustment of heated air within the rack Z), the flow of the heated air through the different transverse perforations 21 being uniform and not tending to produce an orifice effect due to the pressure of air passing the perforations 21. This overcoming of orifice 3 effect is a desirable feature of the present invention and regulation of "the dampers will permit a regulated flow of heated air withinthe rack member Z). It is likewise evident that the jackets e and 7 may be heated by the passage of hotair therethro ugh and this will tend to have a directbearing V and effect upon any article or article within the rack Z).

A uniform heat is therefore maintained within the rack 72 at every portion thereof.

The rack 6 maybe rotated by power means (not shown) through a sprocket 40,

secured on the end of the gudgeon 5, and a chain 41 extendingover said sprocket.

It is ObVlOUS l121t various changes and modifications may be made in practiclng the invention, in departure from the particular showing, without departing from the true spirit of the invention.

Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent: 1. In a device of the character disclosed, a cylindrical rack, a tubular member concentric within such cylindrical rack, such tubular member being formed with a series of spaced transverse perforations, and dampers within such tubular member for segregatingareas of; such tubular member; there being means for forcing heated air through such tubular member and outward through the-transverse perforations in the a cylindrical rack, a tubular member concentric within such cylindrical rack, such tubular member being formed with a series of spaced transverse perforations, and dampers within such tubular member for segregating areas of such tubular member;

there being means for forcing heated air through such tubular member and outward through the transverse perforations in the tubular member under control of the dampers, and an annulus concentric with the rack member and spaced from the periphery of such rack member; such annulus being provided with two spaced jacket members, and means for conducting heated air to such jacket members; there beingfurther means for conductingheated air from such jacket members to the, tubular member; said cy:

lindrical rack member being provided with" doors, and such annulus concentric with the cylindrical rack member being provided with ventilating means. 7

3. In a device of the character disclosed, an annulus, a cylindrical rack concentric within and spaced from the said annulus, a jacket for the said annulus included between the annulus and the said rack, and, means for forcing heated air through'said jacket; a

tubular member, formed with openings therein, positioned within the rack; and a connection between said tubular member and the said jacket whereby the said heated air after being passed through the jacket is passed within the tubular member.

4-. In a device of the character disclosed, an annulus, a cylindrical, rack concentr c within and spaced from the said annulus, a

jacket for the said annulus included between the annulus and the said rack, and means for forcing heated air through said jacket; there being mounting means for the said annulus and rack, said mounting means permitting rotation'of the rack independent of the annulus. i r

5. In a device of the character disclosed, an annulus, two acket members \WllShlIl said annulus spaced apart to provide a slot in said annulus, a rack within said annulus, in-

dependent means in said annulus and said rack for permitting access Within the said rack, and means for forcing air Within said jacket to heat the interior of said annulus and whereby any object'placed Within the said rack Would be heated.

6. In a device of the character disclosed, an annulus, two acket members Within said annulus spaced apart to provide a slot in said annulus, a rack Within said annulus, independent means in said annulus and said rack for permitting access Within the said rack, and means for forcing air Within said jacket to heat the interior of said annulus and whereby any object placed Within the said rack Would be heated; there being means whereby the rack may be rotated independent of the annulus to permit the object Within said rack to be discharged through the means 01 access in said rack and through the slot in said annulus.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

CHARLES J. CRANE. 

